The number of unaccompanied minors caught crossing the United States border has decreased recently, but will the trend continue?

In early September, the Department of Homeland Security announced that the number of minors caught crossing the border alone was at its lowest point since February 2013 during August 2014, NBC News reported. In August 2014, Border Patrol agents apprehended 3,141 children. In May 2014, 10,580 children were caught at the border, and in June 2014 the number rose to 10,622.

According to Carl Meacham, director of the Americas Program of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, Central America is still in turmoil, and thus children will continue to come from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras, the three countries where most of the unaccompanied minors are from.

"The situation in Central America hasn't changed," Meacham told EFE. "We have the same problems of insecurity and violence, the lack of governability continues and jobs are still a problem. There is no work for young people who are members of cartels or street gangs."

The Department of Homeland Security also announced this month that the number of families found crossing the border decreased to 3,295 in August. The number had reached its peak in June with 16,329 families.

Still, Meacham says this trend "won't last long." According to the expert, President Barack Obama's decision to withhold from taking executive action on immigration until after the November elections has worried Central American families, making them more desperate and willing to send their kids into the U.S. illegally.

"The president has not acted, Congress has not acted and the circumstances of the situation have not changed," Meacham said. "There has been no legislation or change from the executive branch to eliminate the reasons why these children come to the United States."

Form Oct. 1, 2013, through Aug. 31, over 66,000 unaccompanied minors were caught trying to cross the border.

---

Follow Scharon Harding on Twitter: @ScharHar.

Related